I don’t know why it is, but lately I’ve been on a major Saigon Sub kick. Also known as Bánh Mì, this Vietnamese-French fusion sandwich is so refreshingly healthy and delicious, with multiple layers of ingredients that each contribute an interesting and complimentary contrast of flavors and textures. If you’ve never had a Bánh Mì sandwich before, you need to get to your nearest Vietnamese restaurant and try it. Good, good stuff! So good that I now got my mother and aunt hooked on it.

Every Saturday morning I do my usual song and dance, hitting up the KCC Farmers’ Market where I can find just about all the necessary ingredients to make it at unbeatable prices. First of all I make sure I’ve got its two key components: fresh-baked Bánh Mì Parisian baguettes and Do Chua, which are those Vietnamese style pickled julienned Daikon and Carrots. The place to get these are from the Ba-Le Bakery booth, where a bag of four Bánh Mì French baguette rolls costs just $2 and a 12 oz. container of the Do Chua is just $3. Cheap!

And Ba-Le’s Bánh Mì French baguette rolls are by far the best. They’re baked fresh and have that very desirable crunchy crust on the outside, with just the right balance of glutenous chew on the inside, while being supple and well balanced in density and porosity.The only problem I find with these French Rolls is they mold quickly when left out on the counter. Like after about three days. So after two days, I already put them in the refrigerator, to which they keep pretty good for about a week. Of course fresh is best though.

As for the Do Chua, I just checked the Aina Haina Foodland, and they don’t carry it. Not sure about Safeway, although I’m sure Don Quijote has it. Otherwise, just get it from Ba-Le. Theirs tastes great. In fact, sometimes I eat just the Do Chua by itself!

Being at a Farmers’ Market, of course you’re going to get all the necessary vegetables and herbs to make your Saigon Sub from there, including Thai Basil, Mint and Cilantro (Chinese Parsley), where you can buy a big bunch for just $1 each. Try buying those same herbs in the supermarket and you’re looking at easily three or more times that price. Or of course, just grow them yourself! I might start doing that.

Cucumber is another common ingredient in Bánh Mì, to which I buy the Japanese Cucumber, as it has less seeds and an overall better flavor in this application. Japanese Cucumbers are usually about $1.50/lb. at KCC Farmers’ Market. Chili Peppers are another basic ingredient in a Saigon Sub, but I’m not one for “heat” in my sandwich and omit it, but hey, if you like it hot, knock yourself out.

The only other key ingredients needed for this Vietnamese-French fusion sandwich are the “fats”, which would be the mayonnaise and choice of meat, to which I buy them from either Costco or the supermarket. Best Foods (a.k.a. Hellman’s) brand for the mayo’ of course, and for the meats, I simply get whatever cold cuts I’m in the mood for. You can use roast beef, smoked ham, turkey, whatever.

Really, like most sandwiches, a Saigon Sub is rather flexible, as long as you have the two key ingredients: the Bánh Mì French Roll and the Do Chua Vietnamese pickled daikon and carrots. From there you can experiment with all kinds of proteins, vegetables, herbs and whatever else you think might work.

I’ve already done a Kiawe-Smoked Pastrami Bánh Mì sandwich which turned out pretty darned delicious…

Check out how I made my Kiawe-Smoked Pastrami Bánh Mì sandwich here, and how I made Backyard Kiawe-Smoked Pastrami here.

Future Saigon Sub experiments for me will include a spin on the classic BLT, Grilled Cheese, Tonkatsu, “Tonkrazy”, baked salmon and either Ahi Poke or tuna tartar.

P.S. Here’s a shot of Maunalua Bay Beach Park from Kuli’ou’ou Beach Park, where you see everyone setting up tents for a front-row, ocean-front vantage point of last night’s grand Fireworks Display over Maunalua Bay in Hawaii Kai…

Same thing at Kuli’ou’ou Beach Park…

It got much more crowded than that right before the 8pm show.

No man is an island… not even in Maunalua Bay when the tide is low…

The fireworks display over Maunalua Bay last night on July 4th, 2010 was quite a spectacle. It began at exactly 8pm and carried on without a hitch until exactly 8:21pm, lasting longer than the 17-minute duration they said it would be on the news. Steady bursts of all the usual shells were there, including the palm, round, ring, willow, roundel, chrysanthemum, pistil, maroon and serpentine. (check out that link for a really cool interactive explanation on that!). The grand finale was of course rapid and highly explosive and seemed to last longer than the seconds it took to complete launching every last shell. Kudos to the folks who set-up this year’s Maunalua Bay fireworks display. Great job! Maika’i!

The music for the Maunalua Bay Fireworks Show was provided by Hawaiian KINE 105.1 FM.

Surprisingly there were very little illegal aerials being launched in the area either before or after the show, compared to last New Years eve, when the skies over Hawaii Kai had more bombs bursting in the air than two of these 4th of July Fireworks displays combined!And this is Hawaii Kai. Imagine Kalihi  and Ewa Beach, where I heard it was like a war zone.

Speaking of which, as I was driving back home towards town from Hawaii Kai after the show (100% sober of course), around 9:30pm about five fire units and every police squad car in the area went racing by, sirens blaring, heading east. Turns out there was a substantial brush fire atop Kalama Valley that threatened nearby homes.  Although they have yet to determine how it was started, it doesn’t look good to have happened on fireworks night.

Lastly, speaking of Saigon Kick, remember that late 80′s/early 90′s band? Here’s their hit single, ‘Love is on the way’…

For the finest dining experience in Waikiki with an oceanfront view that I could think of, the first place that came to mind that we haven’t tried yet is Michel’s at the Colony Surf. This between my girlfriend and I as private celebration of my birthday.

The Colony Surf, which used to be a hotel but has since converted to condominiums, is situated at the footside of Daimond Head crater, at the far Daimond Head (east) end of Waikiki beach, within the last cluster of high rises in Waikiki, with nextdoor neighbors including Kaimana Beach Hotel & San Souci.

So the view from Michel’s on the ground — or should I say ‘beachside’ floor is actually looking “back” at the central part of Waikiki…

We actually had made reservations at 6pm for a window seat to catch the sunset, but arrived late (Hawaiian time), so our table was given up to the next in line. But that’s OK, as the table we got was still well within view of the Waikiki beach skyline at dusk…

If you’re already wondering about me taking photos like this, there were plenty of cameras flashing during the evening, so it was pretty much a non-issue with everyone dining around us. After all, this is “tourist central”.

Here’s a few more views around the elegant, yet quite relaxed open air dining room…

The bar…

A very romantic, dimly lit ambiance at night with Waikiki lights in the background…

Completing the romantic mood, beautiful live solo instrumental classical and Hawaiian slack key songs were played right next to our table by Na Hoku Hano Hano Award winner Jeff Peterson…

Here’s how our table was set upon being seated…

So far everything looks (and sounds) FABULOUS.

OK, let’s check out the menu…

We started the dinner off with a glass each of Francis Ford Coppola’s “Director’s Cut” Cabernet Souvignon (2006)…

Francis Ford Coppola’s “Director’s Cut” Cabernet Souvignon (2006). $20/glass (or $80/bottle)

We thought of getting a whole bottle, but decided not to get smashed at Michel’s and try to focus more on the food. lol

As for the style of cuisine, while Michel’s menu is comprised mostly of French classics, there’s a splash of Pacific Rim thrown into the mix as well. All presented by Chef Eberhard “Hardy” Kintscher, who hails out of Germany (my peeps!), along with Sous Chef Jesus Guittap and Toni Kitamura.

Surprisingly Michel’s doesn’t offer complimentary dinner bread, but Lavosh and herbed butter instead…

Let’s try it…

Pretty good. I would have preferred warm dinner bread, but this works.

For appetizers, we chose the Vitello Tonnato…

Vitello Tonnato – Thin-sliced roasted veal, Yellowfin Ahi sashimi & tuna sauce served with arugula salad, tomatoes and lemon caper vinaigrette. $18

and being a French restaurant, as far as I’m concerned, the Helix Escargot Bourgogne was a MUST!…

Helix Escargot Bourgogne – Half a dozen French snails in Michel’s famous herbed-garlic butter. $18

For entree, my lovely girlfriend decided on trying one of their specials (not listed on the menu), the Potato-wrapped Moi…

This came with a Saffron Risotto…

While I decided on trying ‘Hardy’s Hawaiian Bouillabaisse’…

Hardy’s Hawaiian Bouillabaisse – An assortment of lobster, scallops, shrimp, mussels, clams, salmon and local fish in a savory saffron-tomato broth with a touch of island herbs and flavors. $38.

The Bouillabaisse includes two toasted and garlic-buttered French Baguettes…

Now let’s go over how our apps’ and entrees tasted, first sampling the Vitello Tonnato…

The Lemon Caper Vinaigrette was great. It paired very nicely with the buttery-fresh ahi sashimi and thin slices of roasted veal. The ahi and veal also paired surprisingly well when eaten together. A tasty surf-meets-turf sensation on the palate.

Summing it up, I’ll give Michel’s Vitello Tonnato 4 SPAM Musubi for the delicious Lemon Caper Vinaigrette and wonderful marriage of flavors between the very fresh Ahi sashimi and thinly-sliced roasted veal. Great dish.

Now let’s try the escargot, which I like to put directly on a french baguette like this…

Oh. My. God! This is to die for! If there is a dish that God himself invented, this is it. As simple as it may sound, that herbed garlic butter insanely delicious!

The Escargot snails are very soft, tender and pleasantly flavorful. Not chewy and rubbery at all, nor do they have any over-earthy or dirt-like taste to them. They’re almost clam-like in flavor.

While I forgot to ask, I think  their “secret” flavor enhancer in the herbed-garlic butter is the addition of finely grated, melted Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, which is evident by the globules floating within and the baked-on brown crust on top of the baking dish.

Of course we sopped up every last drop of that amazing herbed-garlic butter with the bread…

The only thing I think this dish is missing are the shells. If they were served in the Escargot shells it would have had much better presentation impact. Still, the quality and flavor of this dish is so incredible, I’m still giving Michel’s Helix Escargot Bourgogne a certified 5-SPAM Musubi seal of approval.

Looks like we’re off to a great start. Now let’s sample the entrees, starting with her Potato-wrapped Moi…

They apparently use one of those spiral vegetable slicers than can turn potatoes, carrots or any other firm fruit and vegetable into long strings. Then they wrapped it around the Moi, which they first removed all of the spine and pin bones before wrapping it, effectively making every medallion boneless. Neat! It was drizzled with a Tobiko Aioli Sauce that added a nice contrast to the flavor of the Moi.

The potato wrapped around it almost had a bacon-like flavor to it due to the deep-frying method the whole fish was cooked.

Look, they even provide the head for all you fish eyeball eaters out there…

The garlic mashed potatoes and Manoa Lettuce and Hamakua Mushroom salad were simple in preparation, yet executed perfectly, with the salad having a lightly sweetened vinaigrette on it. Light, yet very nice.

The saffron risotto was also perfectly cooked, with a silky, creamy texture and wonderfully fragrant, slightly buttery-savory flavor.

We both really enjoyed everything about this dish, agreeing this deserves a Moi-tastic 4-SPAM Musubi. If this is on the menu when/if you dine here, although it’s not one of their signature French dishes, I’d still highly recommend it.

Now let’s dig into ‘Hardy’s Hawaiian Bouillabaisse’…

Hardy’s Hawaiian Bouillabaisse – An assortment of lobster, scallops, shrimp, mussels, clams, salmon and local fish in a savory saffron-tomato broth with a touch of island herbs and flavors

The Bouillabaisse is brought to the table with the saffron-tomato broth in separate dicanter, which our waiter pours into the deep dish at the table.

Fishing around, I find an abundance of meaty sea morsels submerged beneath the broth, including these wonderfully tasty and tender scallops…

And a whole, still intact shelled giant lobster claw!…

The broth wasn’t as spectacular as I had hoped though. It certainly wasn’t as “savory” as it says on the menu. It almost tasted like all they did was combine shellfish stock with tomato paste and perhaps a few herbs or spices and that’s it. They could have just as well dumped Campbell’s Tomato Soup in there and I’d probably hardly tell the difference. There just wasn’t anything interesting or special about it. No “Wow!” or “It” factor. Ya’ know? And it’s not just me, as my girlfriend tried the broth and and a piece of the fish inside and agreed with my assessment of it.

Thankfully most of the seafood in it were fresh, flavorful and tender, except for the giant prawn in the center, which was a little rubbery at the tail.

That said, I’ll give their Bouillabaise 1 SPAM Musubi. For a restaurant of this caliber, being “just average” is painfully disappointing, but sorry, they gotta’ work on that saffron-tomato broth. It just didn’t do it for me.

In retrospect of the menu, while we both obviously were in the mood for seafood on this occasion, I really should have ordered the Rack of Lamb Orloff. I’m almost certain I would have been much happier with that choice. Oh well, next time! And believe me, will will be back at Michel’s for my girlfriend’s Birthday which comes around in June. Can’t wait!

So far three hits and one miss (average isn’t good enough for a place like this). Not bad!

Now let’s see what’s for dessert…

As promised from the start, our waiter brought me a complimentary birthday dessert, which we have a Pineapple Lilikoi Macadamia Nut Cheesecake…

Pineapple Lilikoi Macadamia Nut Cheese Cake. Compliments of the house in celebration of Diner P’s 1st Birthday.

My, my, my, that’s pretty.

Getting her chocolate fix on, my girlfriend ordered the Chocolate Decadence Cake…

Decadence Chocolate Cake – with fresh berries and Macadamia Nut Ice Cream. $10.00

The included Macadamia Nut Ice Cream…

I didn’t ask, but if you ask me, this tasted like Roselani’s Macadamia Nut Ice Cream. It has the same very-roasted big chunks of Mac nuts like Roselani’s, and the same full-bodied vanilla ice cream flavor.

O.K., let’s try this Decandent Chocolate Cake…

You know what? Chocalate Cake is so not my thing, so I won’t even say what I think, but my lady LOVED IT, giving it a decadently-delicious 4 SPAM Musubi seal of approval, so we’ll go with that.

Now let’s try my Pineapple Lilikoi Macadamia Nut Cheesecake…

Oh. My. God! AWESOME! Ding-ding-ding, we have another WINNER! Easy 5-SPAM Musubi. Shoots, I’ll give 7 SPAM Musubi, as this masterpiece of a dessert is OFF-THE-CHARTS ono! And it was a FREE-BEE! Wheeeeeee!

The combination of the roasted Macadamia Nut crust, along with that slightly tangy, rich, buttery, not-overssweetened cheesecake layer, along with the glazed pineapples on top was INSANELY delicious.

I remember I once filled out a profile page for a website (I think it was Yahoo! personals.. nah, just kidding. lol) that asked “What would be the last thing on earth you’d want to eat leaving here?”. To which I answered “Japanese Chashumen” (pork shoyu ramen). Well, I think I’m changing that answer to “Michel’s Passion Fruit Pineapple Macadamia Nut Cheesecake”.

Wow, that was almost orgasmic. Now I need a cigarette. lol (just kidding, I dont’ smoke)

If you’re into tableside preparations, as you’ve seen on the menu, Michel’s has many dishes to choose from in every category that are presented that way…

This is the tableside-carved Chateaubriand…

Speaking of tableside, our server Larry was EXCELLENT. Maikai (job well done). He really made our dining experience at Michel’s a joy, being very knowledgeable, friendly and humorous as well. We felt pampered yet respected for our privacy as well. Couldn’t have been better. Parking is also very easy here with the complimentary (plus tip) valet service.

I’d give Michel’s 5 SPAM Musubi just for the service alone. And certainly 5 SPAM Musubi for the beautiful ambiance. How can ANY restaurant situated almost literally right on Waikiki beach not have a top-rated ambiance? Tell me one, and I’ll have to check if it’s snowing outside.

The only reason I’m not awarding Michel’s the top 5 SPAM Musubi rating on this visit was my disappointing Bouillabaise, which I must take into consideration, after all, that was my main course. Other than that, just excellent in every regard. For all the high points, Michel’s is highly recommended.

Michel’s at the Colony Surf
2895 Kalakaua avenue
Honolulu, Hawaii

Tel. 923-6552
www.MichelsHawaii.com

The Tasty Island rating:

(4) Excellent. Worth another visit or purchase. (Winnahz!)

Related links:
• Embracing Michel’s elegance at the Colony Surf – Honolulu Advertiser
• Improving on the classics – Midweek
• Michel’s at the Colony Surf: A Sunday Brunch Worth Repeating – HawaiiDiner.com
• Michel’s at the Colony Surf – Yelp user reviews

Cream Pot is a relatively new breakfast and brunch eatery in Waikiki featuring  French-influenced continental cuisine with an occasional asian twist.

Emphasize ”relatively” new. Specifically, they’ve been in business for about 2 years now, having started in February 2008, with mixed, yet mostly favorable reviews by food critics, bloggers and Yelp users.

Most notable is that the unique French countryside kitchen decor theme at Cream Pot seems to garner just as much, if not more attention, influence and opinion as the food. For instance, one Yelp user says, “When you walk into the restaurant it looks like little gnomes live there because the decor is all miniaturized and completely random. I’ve often thought, “Hey maybe it’s a gnome restaurant during late night and you can’t get in unless you’re under 12 inches?” Ha ha! Good one!

Some say it’s decorated a little too frilly and feminine, while others find it classy, cozy and charming.

After recently receiving a suggestion and highly-praised recommendation via email from a reader of this blog, I finally dropped-in for a Saturday New Years 2010 brunch at the Cream Pot.

Without further ado, let’s have a closer look at the place and see (and taste!) for ourselves what everyone’s talkin’ about….

Cream Pot is located on the ground floor at the Mauka-Daimond Head corner of the Hawaiian Monarch Hotel on Niu street, which is towards the Ewa (west) side end of Waikiki. Somewhat oddly, the entrance to the restaurant is on the corner of Niu street and Ala Wai Boulevard, making it very much out site from the beaten pedestrian path of bustling Kalakaua avenue, the main strip of Waikiki.

If you haven’t been here before, yet have driven down Ala Wai boulevard in the past year, chances are you’ve noticed their rather odd-in-Hawaii white-painted garden arbor trellis entryway shown in the photo above. It sure contributes to making this eatery stand out as being different even before setting a foot inside.

Walking up the stairs to the main entrance, there’s a shaded outdoor patio area where you can opt to dine…

I didn’t take notice while there, but now after looking at this photo above, that looks like Rosemary growing on the side. It’s certainly smart to grow their own herbs if they’ve got the outdoor space like this to do it. Remember the Italian restaurant Castagnola’s at the Inn on the Park in Waikiki? They used to grow all their own herbs for the restaurant right outside next to the outdoor seating area. Rosemary, Basil, Thyme and everything else. You could literally reach over and pick some to add to your dish. Was neat!

Other than the bustling Ala Wai Boulevard with the cars speeding by between it, I suppose you can consider Cream Pot a “waterfront eatery”, as the featured view from the restuarant is the world-renown, ever-lovely, glowing green Ala Wai Canal lol…

Gotta admit, watching the glistening ripples of the water as the canoes and kayakers paddle by is kinda’ relaxing.

Upon entering, sure enough, it looks as if  we’ve been instantly transported to a kitchen dining room in a remote countryside part of France…

As you see, that long communal table dominates the central floor space. Thankfully they separate the chairs in pairs, so even if you’re seated here, you’re not forced to rub shoulders and elbows with strangers. Of course, this also must come in handy for folks dining here in large groups.

There’s also an adequate amount of smaller tables surrounding the perimeter.

The interior lighting is ambient yet natural, thanks to large open-draped glass windows that lets plenty of daylight in, including from a large manual sliding glass front door…

That gentleman standing at the far left in the light-blue long sleeve shirt is owner Nathan Tran, who was our server and also very nice, informative and friendly guy.

That counter in front of the semi-arched wall at the far corner is where you pay the bill…

Behind that wood door in this small room is the frontside food prep area…

According to owner Nathan, the main kitchen where all the cooking takes place is upstairs in the hotel at a remote location from the dining room. This might be causing service issues, as some others have complained about, which I’ll get into later.

Getting back to the decor, the treatment in this particular area is what really highlights the French country kitchen theme here…

This wall would fit in perfectly as a backdrop on the set of the late Julia Child’s cooking show. Notice that copper escargot tray. Nice. Hmmm, that gives me an idea! How about as a special, they offer an Escargot and sauteed Hamakua Mushrooms Crepe served with a Parsley and Garlic-infused Parmesan Mornay Sauce. That sounds DE-LISH!

Continuing our look around the restaurant, this might be where that “Yelp’r” got the Gnome idea…

There’s nothing to give you scale here, but this statue is about 24″ tall, IIRC. I wonder if it comes alive and walks around the place late at night? We’ll name him (or her?) the “Gnome Greeter”. lol

Here we have the “Gnome Watcher”…

More frilly stuff…

This faux bowl of fruits and veggies is one of the centerpieces on the communal table…

Being we’re at the tail end of the holiday season, they still had their Christmas tree up…

By now you should have a good idea what the place looks like. What I can’t show is how the place FEELS. Which I have to say is a very calm, cool and relaxed vibe, as if the world had stopped for the moment. The sound level is peaceful with everyone speaking at intimate volumes. The housekeeping is also very tidy and clean. Really, an almost fantasy-like, very peaceful, pleasant place to be. At least so it was at the time of our visit.

As you seen in some of the photos, most of the clientele during our visit were Japanese tourists, with what looked like a few mainland tourists here and there. Nathan’s wife is from Japan (and they’ve lived there), so that might explain why they partially-target  the Japanese, as is evident on their daily specials menu which is subtitled in Japanese writing. $mart move. Look out Eggs ‘N Things!

Speaking of the menu, let’s finally take a look at what they’ve got to eat!…

Here’s the Daily Specials…

Other than the Toro Eggs Benedict (Blue Fin Tuna Belly $$$), the prices on the ‘Daily Sets’ are a considerably-better value and recommended by Nathan if you’re a first-timer, although we ultimately went ala carte.

Making it easier to decide on what to get, along with the text menu, they also give you a bound set of laminated photos showing all their signature dishes…

Does everything look and sound yummy or what?!!!

Starting things out with drinks, my girlfriend ordered a glass of Strawberry Lemonade…

Cream Pot – Fresh-Squeezed Strawberry Lemonade. $3.75

The Strawberry Lemonade is about equally tart as it is sweet, having what looked and had the texture of freshly-pureed strawberry in it. Refreshing. I’ll say that.

I had the Cream Pot Iced Coffee (even though I’ve actually “quit” drinking coffee, what the heck, just one glass)…

Cream Pot Blend Iced Coffee (Vietnamese style). $3.75

Nathan said their Coffee was intense, and WOW it was! Even after thoroughly stirring it to incorporate the whipped creme and melting ice, it remained a potent brew. Yet as you might expect, the deep robustness of what tasted like quality coffee beans to make it, this creamy iced coffee went great with the fruity-sweet banana crepe and strawberry Belgian Waffle, as it also paired quite well with my Salmon Eggs Benedict.

Right before the food arrives, a basket including your silverware and napkins are brought to the table…

After about 10 minutes of contemplation, my girlfriend decided to try the Strawberry Belgian Waffles…

Cream Pot – Belgian Waffles with Fresh Maui Strawberries: Homade Vanilla Custard with Fresh Strawberry Coulis. 11.50

I decided on trying the Salmon Egg’s Benedict…

Cream Pot – Salmon Eggs Benedict: Grey Goose (Vodka)-cured, Caramelized Onions, Lacy Potato Cakes, Two Soft-Poached Eggs, Mornay Sauce. $12.50

While we both shared a Banana Crepe…

Cream Pot – Kahuku Banana Crepe (Delicate French Pancake): With Homemade Vanilla Custard Creme Filled, with Dark Salted Caramel Sauce. $9.50.

It took about 20 minute from the time of placing it to our entire order arriving at the table, which is a bit of a stretch considering how slow it was at the time,yet still within a reasonable threshold.

Now for the ongoing Tasty Island “moment of truth”, how is it?

Let’s start by trying the Banana Crepe…

The salted caramel was delicious, though not as mind-blowing as the one I remember being served with Sansei’s Granny Smith Apple Tart. Probably partially because there wasn’t enough of it, but only a very thin layer drizzled on the plate, making it more of a “tease”, as is the style here, where sauces are said to be more conservative in use.

The homemade Vanilla Custard Creme surrounding the sliced Kahuku bananas inside was more on the light and airy side, as if being whipped.  The crepe itself was delicate yet sturdy enough to hold the contents without breaking apart.

My only major complaint,  as was a problem with the Belgian Waffles, was that it arrived on the table at room temperature. If it had arrived warm or hot, I would have enjoyed it much, much more. As it is, I give this Crepe 2 SPAM Musubi. Had it been warm it would probably be a three, or better yet, hot right off the crepe iron, a 4.

Then there was my girlfriend’s Belgian Waffles with Maui Strawberries, which as just mentioned about the crepe, this also arrived at room temperature. Because of this, what would have been an EXCELLENT Belgian Waffle was reduced in appeal considerably. Again, had it arrived at least warm or piping hot right off the waffle iron, this surely would have been outstanding. We could tell that. She also thought the strawberry Coulis was too light and not “syrupy” or bold enough to stand-up to the browned crust of the waffle. In fact, the porous texture of the waffle absorbed the rather thin Strawberry Coulie so much that she had to ask for more sauce…

The Maui Strawberries themselves were quite tart, and while I would have preferred them a little more sweet, that tartness did add an interesting zing to the overall waffle and syrup combination. The vanilla custard creme topping was the same light and whipped stuff used in the crepe, which put a nice and light yet creamy touch to the overall waffle.

Regardless of the temperature issue with the served dish, she still thoroughly enjoyed their Strawberry Belgian Waffles, finishing the entire plate . As it is, she gives it a 2, yet she notes the ambiance of the restaurant is half of what makes the dining experience here so good, so she adds a bonus point for that, giving an overall 3-SPAM Musubi impression of the meal.

Finally let’s sample my Salmon Eggs Benedict, inspecting what lies under each layer…

Notice on the bottom, instead of the traditional English Muffin, they use what’s called a ‘Lacy Potato Cake’, which is essentially a hash brown patty. Although being scratch-made, theirs is somewhat more sophisticated and refined than what you’d get from the neighborhood McDonald’s. Which it should be for the price you’re paying.

On top of that you see the generous portion of Grey Goose Vodka-cured Salmon, which was amazing. Very tender and “meaty”, not “fishy” flavored, while the Vodka curing seems to have tamed some of that intense fishy Salmon taste, making it more subdued and not as in your face. Really ono.

Then there’s a perfectly-poached egg laid over the cured salmon, with the yolk just how I love it, nice and runny…

Oh yes.

Topping the poached egg is a delicate lacing of caramelized, finely-julienned sweet onions (not sure if of the Maui variety) that added even more dimensional complexity in a very complimentary way. Finally, the Mornay sauce drizzled over and around it is much lighter and creamier than the traditionally-rich butter and egg yolk-based Hollandaise sauce. This also let the salmon and potato cake stand out more instead of being overpowered. Would I have liked Hollandaise instead? Probably. Yet I appreciated and savored it just the way it was.

What matters most is that when you slice through all layers of Cream Pot’s Salmon Eggs Benedict and eat it in one single, big-mouthed bite, one-and-for-all they individually compliment each other quite nicely. Dreamy actually when combined with the surroundings as you’re eating it.

Thankfully unlike the other two dishes, the two Salmon Eggs Benedicts on my plate were still very warm when served.

As for the salad, it’s a simple blend of leafy ‘Nalo greens with what turned out to be a mild, yet very delicious Balsamic Vinaigrette Dressing which had a perfect balance of acidic and sweet going on. It was a wonderfully refreshing and crisp contrasting compliment to the main entree.

Summing it up, I give their Salmon Eggs Benedict a very solid 3 SPAM Musubi, again adding a bonus point for the unique and very comfortable ambience, which kicks it up to 4.

Our tab came out to $43 for the two us, not including tip, which didn’t surprise me after reading other reviews. Looking over the menu prices, you shouldn’t be comparing them with the local diner, drive-in or dive anytime soon. What you get with those higher price are quality ingredients and attention to detail (save for the two room temp’ plates on this particular occasion, which we forgive) that elevates Cream Pot to another level.

It’s the uniqueness of the sophisticated continental menu with an occasional asian twist, combined with the Euro-cool and cozy atmosphere that I think makes makes the Cream Pot a highly recommended restaurant worth that special breakfast or brunch treat when you’re looking for something different and new.

We’re certainly coming back to try more dishes, where I have my sight on the ‘Classic Crepe’ with Baked Maple-cured Bacon, Caramelized Maui Onions, Potatoes, Gruyere Cheese with Bachemel. A dish one Yelp’r exclaims is to die for.

Check ‘em out!

Cream Pot
Hawaiian Monarch Hotel Waikiki
444 Niu St.
Honolulu, Hawaii 96815

Tel.  429-0945

Business hours:
6:30am to 2:30pm for breakfast and brunch daily. Closed on Tuesdays.

$2/hour validated parking in the Hawaiian Monarch Hotel

The Tasty Island rating:

(3) Very Good. Considerable of another visit or purchase. (Supah’ Ono!)

Related links:
• Cream Pot pleases with sweet treats and breakfast eats – Honolulu Star Bulletin
• Cream Pot, a closer look – AkuEats.com
• The Cream Pot – Coty Gonzales T-Shirt Review Blog
• Cream Pot – Yelp user reviews

Brasserie Du Vin
By Tony Kawaguchi

“The French know a thing or two about food.”  That’s what my British friend said when I suggested French food for our next “foodie” outing.  I feel sorry for people who aren’t foodies, usually limiting their dining to a few very simple staple dishes, never venturing into the daring and new as we would at Du Vin on Bethel St last night.  Never enjoying so many of the great tasting things God created for us to combine and explore, they have a somewhat uninteresting culinary life.

You would hardly know there is a great French Brasserie in Downtown Honolulu, and we hardly found it, with the almost invisible sign and the dimly lit dining room with no host to greet us, and nearly no parking nearby.  Maybe that’s why it was kind of empty, or maybe it’s because it was a Monday night.

Du Vin isn’t showy, doesn’t feel very five-star, and doesn’t try too hard, which is the feel they are going for with no table cloths and very simple wooden tables that are kind of rickety.  The simple French-ish décor isn’t impressive, but it’s French.  The food though, was definitely was impressive.

If you’ve never heard or spoken any French, the menu is by nature, foreign in parts, which is always exciting for a foodie.  They’re not French fries, they’re “Pommes frites,” and they aren’t mussels, they’re “Moules.”  The entire menu is full of items that you don’t see a lot in Hawaii.  How about some escargot?

We chose both – the Escargot in herbed garlic green butter for $12, and the Moules frites – Salt spring mussels steamed in white wine, garlic and herbs, topped with pommes frites for $15.

The Escargot came in this nice 6 serving dish with a tasty green herb that we couldn’t place.  The sauce was so good that we asked for more bread to soak it all up. Tender, juicy, full of flavor but not overwhelmed by the sauce as some escargot are.

By far my favorite dish of the evening was the mussels.  In the past I’ve had mussels with too much sauce or mayo or whatever they want to put on it, so that you lose the flavor of the mussel for all the sauce.  This wonderful creation had just enough white wine and garlic to enhance the flavor, but not so much that you lost anything of the actual meat.  I’ve had mussels maybe 20-30 times in my life, and this was the best I’ve ever had, hands down.

This sauce also got sopped up with even more bread. Two great dishes with two great sauces.  I ate one herbed frites after each mussel for a great contrast between the flavors.  The mussels were as tender as a warm marshmallow, while the fries were crisp and hot.  I love the combination of textures and flavors in this dish.

Our wine was a red Argentinean Malbec full bodied with a nice lingering finish.  I’m always amazed at how unique every single wine is, no matter how many I’ve tried.

Our first entrée was thoroughly French.  Grilled Quail served with fresh oranges, fennel, mixed greens and an almond-mint reduction for $18.  My friend informed me that oranges and fennel is a classic French combination, one that I had never tried before.

Quail is a tiny bird, so small you feel like you could eat three of four of them.  It isn’t like chicken at all if you’re wondering.  The meat had a more firm texture, and the grilling made it crispy on the outside for another nice combination of textures.

As my pallet has matured over the years I’ve grown to love the contrast of tangy, savory and sweet that comes from adding some fruit to a dish like this.  There are a half dozen completely different flavors and textures in this dish, which is what makes it such a foodie’s delight.

Our second entrée was a grilled flat iron steak with roasted shallot aioli and pommes frites.  Since none of us (including the server) were sure which cut “flat iron” referred to, we had low expectations when we ordered it.  But as my wife had just run the half marathon this weekend, she was eager to eat some red meat.

The steak, as it turned out, was as tender as you could hope for, perfectly prepared to a medium rare finish, pink throughout.  A perfect steak is evenly finished like this, not having very rare and very well done parts in the same cut.  Just enough spices to highlight the meat, but not too much that it was unbalanced.  The greens weren’t that interesting, and we were getting tired of the fries by this point.  But that was our mistake for ordering two dishes with fries.  Oops, I mean frites.

By now we had been in this dark brasserie for over 2 hours, which is normal for a French dinner I suppose, but somehow we still had room for dessert.  We chose this Crème Brulee, which we all enjoyed thoroughly.  Sometimes this dish can be too soft or too firm, but not tonight.  Another perfect blend of textures, with the firm crack of the torched sugar over crème. It was everything you could hope for in a great Crème Brulee.

I thought for sure we were done at this point, but my gaming (and still not full) companion ordered the Chef’s selection plate of cheeses, which of course is a very French finish.  This fantastic sampling consisted of Manchego, Taleggio, Gouda, Gorgonzola & Genoa Salami for $18, served with crackers, mustard, cranberries, walnuts, and some pickled veggies.

With this final plate, we were combining flavors that created the most amazing blend of taste bud pleasure.  A piece of hard sharp cheese with a sweet, moist cranberry?  Wow.  Spicy salami, a walnut, and mustard?  I think I might come back here just for cheese and drinks.  My friend was right, French people do know a few things about food!

Our bill added up to about $120, not too bad for a party of 4 celebrating my wife’s big accomplishment. I’ll definitely return to Du Vin, and probably between 4-6pm when Happy Hour provides many of these items at half price.

4 Spam Musubi rating! ::

Brasserie Du Vin
1115 Bethel St
Honolulu, HI 96813
Tel. 545-1115
www.brasserieduvin.com

The Tasty Island rating:

(4) Excellent. Worth another visit or purchase. (Winnahz!)

Related links:
• Brasserie Du Vin – Yelp user reviews
• A downtown dining world of its own – Midweek
• First Look at Du Vin – Hawaii Diner

When reader Debbie-chan left a comment mentioning seeing a Kalua Pork Puff at Beard Papa, I just had to settle my curiosity about it. So I stopped by Foodland Ala Moana on my way home from work today and picked one up. I also picked up their new Breakfast Puff to try out. Finally, returning to the tune of sweet, I picked up another new menu item in the form of a Strawberry Shortcake Puff.

The last chain restaurant I recall applying Kalua Pig into new and creative menu ideas was Taco Bell with their Kalua Pork Soft Taco, Kalua Pork Quesadilla and Kalua Pork Stuft Burrito; most of which turned out to be quite good.

Now here we have Beard Papa, attempting to diversify their highly regarded, fresh baked choux pastry, going above and beyond their foundational cream puffs, in an effort to lure those seeking a more hearty meal.

First let’s look at the Breakfast Puff…

Beard Papa’s new Breakfast Puff, $3.50

Beard Papa’s marketing description for it goes like this: “A savory combination of cheese, egg and your choice of bacon or Portuguese sausage in our signature shell.”

Let’s take a peek inside and see what we got…

My apology for the over-exposed shot. I rushed the photo shoot.

What they do is take their choux pastry – the same one they use for all the other cream puffs – and cut in half to make a “bun” out of it. The base part of the choux cream is really thin, but thankfully with this one, the egg – which is that thick yellow (looks white due overexposure) part on the second layer – helps keep everything else firmly supported.

On top of the beaten, formed poached egg are several thick pieces of Portuguese sausage, and on that is a slice of melted American Cheese, then capped off by the  choux pastry “bun” top. There was also a slight scattering of green onions between the egg and the sausage. If you don’t care for Portuguese Sausage, you can also opt for bacon (or none of the above for that matter).

How was it? Very good. Due to the airiness of the choux pastry, It’s similar to a croissant breakfast sandwich, just not as flaky, but it still has that nice texture contrast, along with that tasty baked outter shell. I couldn’t pinpoint the brand of Portuguese Sausage, but it was on the hot and spicy side. The formed poached egg had a generic, mass-produced shape, but thankfully in taste it was flavorful and fresh tasting, not frozen (although it might have been). At $3.50 each, it’s not the best breakfast sandwich value in town, yet still worth a try. As with all other items at BP, the quality of the choux pastry part of its sum is the selling point.

Next we have the Barbecue Kalua Pork Puff with Pineapple Coleslaw…

Beard  Papa’s new  Barbecue Kalua Pork Puff with Pineapple Coleslaw, $3.95 each (or $7.50 for two)

Beard Papa’s marketing description for this one goes like this: “Just like the Southern favorite, our version of the barbecue pulled pork sandwich with a Hawaiian twist!”

Let’s take a peek into this one…

This one is made by filling the choux pastry “bun” with a layer of “Kalua” Pork, then topped by a heap of Pineapple Coleslaw.

How was this one? Pretty good. Different for sure. The Pineapple Coleslaw was perhaps the best part about it. Cool, fresh, with plenty of grated carrots and cabbage, accented by a few chunks of pineapple here and there. Very nice.

The kalua pork was moist and smokey, and went really well with the slaw. My only complaint was that the “Kalua” pork had barbecue sauce mixed into it. Wassup wit’ ‘dat? While it wasn’t dominant, it was there, taking the term “Kalua” right out of the pork. They should just be honest and call this a pulled pork sandwich. In essence that’s really what it is. Of course they want to “Hawaiianize” it by adding the Pineapple and using the term “Kalua” for the pork, which is fine with me, but you’ll see when/if you try one what I mean.

As mentioned earlier about the breakfast sandwich, the choux pastry “bun” base is thin, where in this case, the moist Kalua Pork soaks right into it, causing it to practically fall out from underneath as you attempt to grab the sandwich and bite into it. At least, such was the case within the 30 minute window of me buying it, driving home, taking photos, then sampling it.  What they might wanna’ consider is to try putting a slice of lettuce between the pork and the “bun” bottom to create a moisture barrier.  Somethin’ like that.

With the Barbecue Kalua Pork Puff with Pineapple Coleslaw coming in at $3.95 each, it’s a toss-up on value. The ingredients and quality is there, but taste is what matters most and that’s for you to decide whether you’d keep this on your “regular” list. For me, glad I tried it.

Size-wise , these are more like “sliders”, and you’d probably need at least two to fill you up if you’re really hungry.

I’m really glad I thought “long term” and got the Strawberry Shortcake Puff as a little dessert, as it ended up being a perfect way to finish the trial of the other two savory items…

Beard Papa’s new Strawberry Shortcake Puff, $2.65

The marketing description for this one goes like this: “Fresh strawberries floating in a whipped cream base.”

Cross cut view…

This photo perfectly illustrates how “airy” these choux pastries are, with that whipped cream and strawberry “shortcake” filling taking up every void of it’s interior. See how thin the choux pastry is on the bottom? That’s how it is in the savory sandwiches as well, which is why I pointed out that little “issue” with the Kalua pork causing it to get soggy on the bottom.

How is this one? Oishii desu! Of course different than their vanilla custard, as the filling here is made with sweetened whipped cream. Light, yet still decadent. Inside of the whipped cream were generous chunks of fresh, cold strawberries. That’s what I really liked about this one: the filling was cool. I think it’s worth $2.65. I’d certainly buy this again. The strawberries with the choux pastry is a winner. Perhaps I’m biased on that opinion due to my affection for Kachan’s totally amazing Choux Creme with the strawberry and Kiwi fruit in it.

As is usual of most Japanese products, quality and attention to detail is the name of the game at Beard Papa, right down to how they pack the goods…

These were packed nicer than that, with those “cute” little paper wrappers and all.
I kinda’ took ‘em a part for unknown reasons. Perhaps it was too cute for my liking.  lol

We will remember…

Beard Papa is located at select Foodland Supermarkets around the island. The items I got today were from the beautifully-renovated location in Ala Moana…

According to Beard Papa’s Hawaii website (which is currenty DOWN! ARGGHHH!), they also have a new Pita Sandwich, but that’s only available at the Waikiki locations, IIRC. Looks pretty good.

Well, at least you know now, in case wanna’ try something new, Beard Papa’s got a few things to consider checkin’ out.

Related links:
• BeardPapaHawaii.com
• Beard Papa’s Cream Puff

Going through my photo archives, I came across this set of absolutely awesome Choux Creme or “Creme Puff” pastries brought for us as Omiyage on Halloween this past year. Notice the Halloween-themed colors represented by the candy sprinkles. This being one of several holiday occasions throughout the years that we’ve been so fortunate to receive them.

And as they always are, these gems are the immaculate work of “Kachan”, a family friend of ours from Japan now living here, who over the years out of her home kitchen has absolutely perfected this delicate French pastry to a science and art.

The puff pastry “shell” here has that airy lightness to it, with a perfectly-crisped texture contrast provided by the baked-brown outer crust. The light-yet-rich, vanilla-flavored creme filling is so cool, smooth, and, well… creamy!

Size-wise, they’re a bit too large to pop each one whole, but with effort or a large mouth you probably could. Otherwise about two or three savoring bites will do it, which while doing so, you must be strategic in your “angle of attack” so the creme filling doesn’t ooze out, which can be a bit of a challenge, yet kinda’ fun and certainly a tasty reward.

While the chocolate shell and various other toppings are nice, what really kicks these up are the application of fresh strawberries and Kiwi fruit as shown on the left two, where the acidity and further dimension of texture those afford make eating these almost a spiritual moment. Seriously, they’re that good.

For a convenient retrospective, let’s look at some creme puffs we’ve covered in the past…

Beard Papa’s vanilla, chocolate and strawberry Creme Puffs (sans powdered sugar… booo!), $1.50 each

Liliha Bakery’s Coco Puffs with Shantilly topping (left) and Creme puffs with chocolate topping (right), $.80 each

Kachan’s Strawberry & Kiwi Fruit Choux Creme

Foodland’s Ala Moana Center store was closed for renovation for several months now, and just reopened their doors this past Thursday with a new Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf, a Beard Papa’s, and an overall fresh, updated look.

Beard Papa’s is a franchise from Japan that specializes in freshly made Cream Puffs. Their Hawaii locations, which have been in the islands for several years now, are operated by Foodland’s Sullivan family. Which explains why many of their shops are located within their stores; the first of which to arrive on our shores being in the Waikiki Food Pantry supermarket. The last of which I’ve visited before this one being at the Koko Marina Foodland.

Beard Papa’s motto is “to only serve the freshest cream puffs”. With that, every one served is made from a choux pastry shell that’s baked fresh on site. They’re very light and airy, with a slighty crisp, browned outter crust, and by nature of a choux pastry, a cavernous interior makes them ready for the filling of your choice. The original vanilla custard filling is prepared fresh, flavored with hand-picked whole vanilla pods from Madagascar. Wow! There’s several other filling flavors to choose such as chocolate, strawberry, Grean Tea, Coffee and Caramel.

In my order today, I went neopolitan with the original vanilla, chocolate and strawberry…

Front to back: Original Vanilla, Chocolate and Strawberry ‘fresh’n natural cream puffs

The fresh-baked choux pastry shells are kept in a bin awaiting service…

The fillings aren’t added until the customer makes the order. Upon making your choice(s), the custard is injected from a pump canister nozzle, as you can partially see in this photo…

So how are they? First of all, after looking at Ono Kine Grindz post about the place, I notice Reid’s order had an abundant dose of powdered sugar on it… hey, where’s mine!? That indeed would’ve added a nice extra kick of sweetness to it. And I didn’t have any powdered sugar in the pantry to add my own.. oh well. Next time I may have to remind them!

Although they claim it’s made with “two European Chocolates”, I didn’t care for the chocolate one too much, as it wasn’t quite sweet enough, and wasn’t as complimentary to the choux pastry as the other two were. Perhaps that powdered sugar on top would have helped here.

The strawberry flavor tasted genuine to the actual fruit, with pulverized bits visually seen in it. It even has a slight tang which makes it that much more convincing, and not so “candy-like”. Pretty good. I bet the Éclair version, with dark chocolate over the top would make this one dynamite.

By far, the original Vanilla is the one to get, and defines what Beard Papa’s is all about. Light and creamy, not too heavy or oversweet, and whatever this madagascar vanilla is, it’s doing a good job here. That cool, creamy custard, combined with the airy and crisp choux shell is a fantastic flavor and texture combination. Just overall yummy.. oishii!

Japanese have a great reputation for quality packaging, and Beard Papa’s is no exception, where they’re off to go in this nifty little carry box…

And each one has their own package wrapper to hold while you eat so the cream filling (which is kind of loose) doesn’t drip on your hands…

They cost $1.65 each for the vanilla and $1.85 for the other flavors, which can add up if you’re planning to buy a few dozen for the office gang. But if you’re just going for a one’z-two’z, not a problem.

Freshness is key here, and with that, they date stamp your order, with a reminder to keep them refrigerated and (preferably) consumed within the day you bought them…

Foodland Ala Moana’s renovated storefront, located street level on the mauka-ewa side of the center near Sears

For more information, visit their Hawaii website at:
www.BeardPapasHawaii.com

Tasty Island rating:

Supah’ Ono!

…although next time, don’t forget the powdered sugar!